Colombian Andres Escobar was murdered in 1994, a few days after Colombia lost against the United Stated and were thus eliminated from the 1994 World Cup.

An own-goal is always an unfortunate shot for the one who did it, but in 1994 it turned into a tragedy: a goal that cost Colombian Andres Escobar his life.

It was a match between Colombia and the United States in Los Angeles stadium Rose Bowl. The Americans won 1-2. Escobar scored the first goal in 35th minute. Stewart’s and Valencia’s goals followed it, but the last minutes of the match proved that Colombians would be eliminated. And the last group stage match, which they won against Switzerland, didn’t help them to stay in the tournament.

Escobar was 27 and was known as ‘the gentleman of football’ because of his character. He was killed at the parking lot of a restaurant in Medellin, Colombia. Just ten days after the match. The murderer was linked to the world of gambling and drug-trafficking. Some people considered it a political action. An deceased player’s family from the first moment considered that football bets and a suspicion on losing the matches provoked Colombia’s defeat.

In any case, during the World Cup several players also received death threats, so the atmosphere in the Colombian team was full of nervousness and tension.

The murder of Escobar shocked the whole country. Escobar was a respected and adored player. Two years ago Colombia and the United States encountered again in the Copa America Centenario. Both teams paid tribute to that occasion.

This year, in January, almost 24 years after the incident, the Colombian police arrested Juan Santiago Gallon Henao, an alleged drug trafficker connected to the murder.

Source: Mundo Deportivo